Key Takeaways
- Samsung’s new tech recovers 80% of QD ink waste, saves $7.3 million annually
- Recycling process maintains original ink quality
- No drastic changes in QD-OLED panel development
Samsung has announced a brand new technology to help mitigate the waste in quantum dot (QD) ink. It’s a core facet of the manufacturing of Samsung’s QD-OLED panels. Being able to recycle discarded ink may result in lowered costs when you buy your next display.
Samsung Display uses ultra-fine semiconductor particles known as quantum dots (QD) for many of its displays. This manufacturing process unfortunately comes at a cost of a lot of wasted and discarded ink. However, the company announced that it’s developed a new form of quantum dot ink recycling technology that will “enhance the cost competitiveness of its QD-OLED displays.”
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Samsung’s new technology recovers 80 percent of otherwise lost QD ink
With a major reduction in losses, annual cost savings may be over $7.3 million
Samsung
Samsung S90D
- Brand
- Samsung
- Display Size
- 55-inches
- Operating System
- Tizen OS
- Display Type
- QD-OLED
- Display Resolution
- 4K
Samsung announced that the new technology can collect and recycle QD ink that is typically wasted during the QD-OLED manufacturing process. The QD layer in its displays is made using an inkjet process that sprays red and green QD ink into tiny micrometer-sized nozzles. Up until recently, 20 percent of the ink used ended up stuck in the nozzles and was ultimately discarded. That results in a ton of wasted QD ink and resources over the year.
Samsung’s new recycling process can recover and reuse up to 80 percent of that wasted product. According to Samsung, having the means to recover this amount of QD ink throughout the process may result in annual savings of KRW 10 billion (approximately $7.3 million USD). These savings can then be used to help offset consumer costs when the QD-OLED panels hit store shelves.
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What is the difference in Samsung’s QD-OLED process?
Samsung isn’t reinventing the wheel when it comes to the development of its panels
Samsung
As Samsung confirms, the new QD ink process isn’t drastically changing the way it develops its QD-OLED panels. Samsung Display assembled a task force led by the BP technology team. Their goal was to develop a QD ink recycling facility in August, which they succeeded in doing. The collected ink undergoes a similar advanced synthesis technology process that “revives its purity and optical properties.”
The company confirms that the ink collected maintains the “same performance levels as the original ink in quality tests.” In fact, it’s been in use on the production line since October.
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